10 Weightlifting Exercises for Toned Arms and Shoulders

Get the toned arms you’ve always wanted with this quick and straightforward workout from Andrea Kinsky, a certified personal trainer and professional stunt woman.

Kinsky combines 10 weightlifting exercises that target the muscles in your shoulders and arms. Rather than make you look bulky–a common myth about strength training–these moves will build lean muscle on your triceps, biceps, and shoulders for an overall toned look.

Begin your arm and shoulder workout with a shoulder press. Grab a 10 to 15-lb. dumbbell in each hand and raise them at the same time, reaching above your head. Then, slowly lower your arms until they form a 90-degree angle and your triceps are parallel to the floor. Repeat this motion until you complete two sets of 15 reps each.

Next, tone your triceps with side raises. Engage your core to keep your upper half stable, then lift your arms outward from your sides while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Slowly lower your arms back to your sides. Do two sets of 25 reps before moving on to front raises, which involve the same motion but with your arms extended out in front of your body rather than to the sides. Do two sets of 25 reps of this exercise as well.

To really feel the burn in your shoulders, next up are two sets of 25 bent-over raises. Start by hinging slightly at your waist and engaging your core to keep your back stable. Then, with a dumbbell in each hand, pull backwards and squeeze your shoulder blades together to complete one rep.

You’ll also work out your biceps with curls and a variation–angled bicep curls. Be sure to keep your back and lower body still during these exercises to ensure you’re isolating your arms.

Watch the video to learn the rest of Andrea Kinsky’s arm and shoulder-toning exercises, then grab two dumbbells and follow along to build long and lean arms now.